TO's Sharing, Swapping & Repairing Community

Posted by Emily Alfred408.50sc on May 29, 2014

The best way to reduce waste is to avoid it in the first place. By sharing things, swapping what we don't need anymore, and repairing what we have we can avoid buying 'stuff' and build community at the same time.

Toronto hosts a whole range of great community initiatives to share, swap and repair!

Sharing

Sharing things instead of owning them makes a lot of sense - and it saves money! The Toronto Public Library is one of the largest library systems in the world, and by borrowing books, cds, dvds and computers, library users are common examples of how many of us already 'share'. Car-sharing and bike-sharing programs, and DIY bike-repair workshops help people get around with less cost. More recently, projects like the Toronto Tool Library, and Kitchen Library share expensive but rarely-used equipment - everything from wheelbarrows to juicers!

Swapping

When you're done with something, why not swap it with someone else for something you might need? Clothing swaps, toy swaps, and book and media swaps have been growing in popularity. Swapsity organizes large scale swap meets - the next one is Sunday June 8th at the Harbourfront. Other common swap sites in Toronto include Little Free Libraries on residential streets or apartment buildings.

Repairing

It can be harder to find a place to repair an old appliance, but repairing what you have is another way to send less to landfill. Toronto's Repair Cafe holds events where teams of fixers will show you how to repair things for free - their next event will be on June 14. The Repairathon team hosts free events with volunteers to help you mend and patch your clothing - their next event is on June 7.

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TEA’s Waste Free challenge is a project of the Toronto Environmental Alliance. The project is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario. The challenge is sponsored by CUPE Local 416, the union representing Toronto City workers who collect, sort, recycle and compost Toronto's residential waste.